Full Circle
by sickoftakenpennames
Summary: When a little group therapy session comes to order, some campers seem reluctant to tag along at first. But soon, getting it off your chest doesn't feel so bad. Tears, smiles and maybe not-so- heartfelt apologies ensue. T for language and touchy content.


**Disclaimer: I do not own Total Drama Island/Action.**

**Well, since I haven't written a story in a while, and I finally got some down time, I figured, 'Why not?' And this idea presented itself to me after I saw 'Hidden Owen, Crouching Courtney."**

**So... yeah.**

* * *

"...Hello," a stony-faced Chris greeted into the camera, unusually calm instead of jumping with the uncontainable excitement he usually showed when introducing a brand new episode to the waiting Canadian/American cable audiences.

"This week's special episode has all the contestants, former and current, rounded up for something I think would be very beneficial to all of them. So, with their best interests at heart, (What, you think I'm joking? I'm not. I see you laughing_.... Stop it._) we've decided to arrange a little... group therapy session. Thanks for tuning in. All footage has been provided with explicit permission granted from participants, and edited out where requested."

* * *

Duncan shook his head as he tried to eliminate the glare that lingered on his retinas as a single bulb flashed on in the room he had been directed to. Holding a stack of chairs for distributing in an even circle around the room, he looked back at some of the other contestants following him with more seats.

Falling in line behind Chef as he was pointed towards the chair locations, he attempted to pry more information out of the large culinary school drop-out.

"What is this? Like Jerry Springer?" he asked based on the little information he had been given prior to having the rigid plastic chairs shoved in his arms.

Chef shrugged, wearing a sneer that hinted he might know more, but wasn't releasing information because it would all be revealed soon enough anyway.

As the delinquent started placing the chairs uneven distances around the circumferance of the designated area, Tyler sauntered in behind him with more seats.

Duncan watched the joke for a jock take in his surroundings before returning to his own work.

"...Do you know what's going on here?" Tyler asked cautiously, aware of the punk's habitual, unprovoked outbursts.

Duncan simply gave him the same reaction Chef had given him, and soon Tyler was working alongside him, straightening out the uneven spaces between the sloppily placed seats.

Beth and Trent offered no extra tidbits of discussion as they entered and helped finish setting up the circle.

* * *

"Well, here we are."

Chris glanced around the circle he sat at the head of, observing who had taken a seat next to who. Chef sat in the chair to his immediate right, arms crossed and brow furled as he maintained his constant _get-me-out-of-here_ expression that everyone in the room had grown to know so well.

Provoking no reaction but a muffled cough, the host pursed his lips and continued with his speech.

"Do any of you know why you're here?"

"I'm pretty sure if we did, we wouldn't be," came the sarcastic reply from two seats to Chris' left.

Leaning out to look, he found Duncan slouching with his arms over the back of the chair. Courtney sat between them, ankles crossed and hands folded neatly in her lap over her pencil skirt, like the good girl she had constantly tried (and sometimes failed) to portray. She glanced between them, her nose slightly scrunched in impatience.

Chris smiled and leaned back.

"As I'm sure some of you are pretty well aware of, we've all done something we probably regret. Maybe something we want to get off our chests."

There was a repressed chuckle, and in the vast silence all heads turned towards Geoff, who's eyes darted back and forth as he slowly realized he had been caught. Bridgette, on his left, looked away in annoyed embarassment.

"So," Chris continued, ignoring the interruption but keeping an eye on the perpetrator nonetheless, "tonight's the night to just... let it all out."

He gestured outward, smiling. There was minimal reaction, save a few eye rolls from Eva and Heather.

"Uh, no thanks, Dr. Phil," interrupted Duncan again. "I'm outta here."

Duncan rose out of his seat and turned towards the door, seeing Chef already guarding it, arms still crossed but now holding a large wooden spoon that Duncan was pretty sure he hadn't been holding three minutes ago.

Reluctantly, he slid back down into his slouched position and decided to just wait until the night was over.

Chris grinned, already anticipating the tensions that would begin to rise in the room in the next hour or so.

"So."

He clapped his hands together.

"Who wants to start?"

Silence. Everyone looked around, determining who would be the first to take the bait for what would certainly be talk at the studio for a good week or two.

Slowly, a hand rose out of the crowd. All eyes once again turned in a common direction, this time to a certain ebony-haired musician.

He was silent for a moment, returning their stares and mouth twitching up slightly at the corner as he clearly seemed to be concocting something in his head.

"Yes, Trent?" Chris prodded.

"Ah, it's nothing," he replied waving a hand dismissively. "Just..."

He suddenly stood up and started jumping on his chair, looking extremely excited.

"I'M IN LOVE WITH KATIE HOLMES! I'M IN LOVE WITH KATIE HOLMES!"

Suppressed chuckles scattered throughout the room, turning into roaring laughter as Trent jumped down from the chair, knelt on one knee, and started punching the air. More guffawing came from one side of the circle as spectators saw Katie's face drop, obviously having been temporarily excited before hearing "Holmes" and quickly realizing the joke.

Gwen's face went red behind her hand, obviously trying to hide her laughter as Trent started shaking her in his mock excitement.

"SHUT UP!" Chef roared, quickly silencing most of the laughter in the room and sending Trent calmly back down into his seat with a smirk.

Chris' smile faltered slightly, seeing this wasn't going to work too well.

"So that's it? No one's up for it?"

No response, except for the blond that was still having a hard time concealing her fit of giggles.

Tyler looked over at her, still smiling, but something lurked in his expression that hinted at some sort of discontent.

"Yeah, your boyfriend over there sure is a riot."

All was silent in the room. Trent and Lindsay looked at him, confused (not to mention Gwen also suddenly seemed very interested in the topic at hand).

Trent's smile wavered, but only the slightest bit.

"Hey, man, what are you talking about?" he asked, looking directly across the circle to his accuser. Lindsay bit her lip nervously, looking confused.

"Oh, come on. She's been hanging all over you ever since she showed up."

Tyler then launched into the best Lindsay impression he could muster.

"Oh my God, Trent? Is that _YOU_? It's been, how long, seven days? It's _so-oooooo_ good to see you!"

Tyler then attempted to add a squeaky giggle of excitement at the end, but his voice cracked horribly and he had to stop to clear his throat.

Trent's expression turned stony.

"All she did was say 'hi.'"

"Yeah," Lindsay defended. She looked worriedly over at the track athlete, still rubbing his sore throat, and placed a hand on his knee.

"You know I only have eyes for you, Tyler. Honest. Me and Trent are just friends."

Tyler looked over at her. "Really?"

"Totally."

"Aww," Beth cooed, seeing Lindsay smile back at him.

"Yeah, man? Didn't you hear?" Trent said. "I love Katie."

More chuckling; once again, Katie's expression was a dead giveaway she had just understood the joke.

Bridgette laughed.

"Aw, that's just like the time I thought Geoff was into that intern."

Geoff looked at her, slightly alarmed.

"What intern?"

Bridgette paused, realizing this was obviously the first time he had heard of her concern.

"Audrey. The inventory woman."

"Why would I be into her?"

"Well, you two were talking an awful lot..."

"About _inventory_."

"Well, Geoff, the way you had been acting, I didn't really know what to think anymore!"

"What about me? The way I was acting, _I_ didn't know if _you_ were gonna run off with someone else!"

"That's ridiculous."

"It is, isn't it? Look, Bridge, I'm already walking on eggshells as it is. Would I do that to you?"

Bridgette looked down at her sandals, having her chin moved back up by the beach-blond skater boy.

She couldn't help but smile back. "...I guess not."

The couple smiled and embraced, earnign another group "Aww."

Harold looked on.

"You know, it's nice to know you guys don't worry about someone stabbing you in the back anymore. I wish I was that lucky."

LeShawna raised an eyebrow at his statement. "Ex_cuse_ me?"

Chris smiled.

_And so the ball starts rolling..._

* * *

**A/N: Well, I know the starting dialogue seemed kind of forced and rushed, but I just needed to get the story started and type up half the chapter again because the Internet kicked me off. Hopefully the next chapter will flow better.**


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